Roofing support



Patented Oct. 24, 1944 .RooFING SUPPORT John Blandy Llewellyn, Fair Oak, England, yassignor of Y iLimited, Sheffield, :co

one-half to Mellowes and Company unty ofYork, :England Application octobern, 1942,

serial No'. 462,381

In Great Britain October 23,1941

:11. Claims. (01.21'08-3'3) This invention .relates to roofing supports, more particularly those .designed .for the support of tiles orslates. Heretofore Wooden bat- .tens or laths 'have generally been ynailedto .the

Vrafters to Support `the .roofing material but the nails `are subject to.v rust and corrosion especially .Whenthe timberislnot adequately seasoned, .with the result that the battens y.or laths .areapt .to slip down inclined rafters .causing tiles .or slates to be dislodged.

It is the primary *object of the .present invention to kprovide an improved roofing support by the employment of which the disadvantages indicated above are reduced ineffectifnot wholly avoided. y f

A further Objectis to provide .a metal roofing support from stripmetal of sufficient strength to bear the Weight of roofingmaterial, capable of automatically .obtaining ,a .grip on inclined rafters when thus subjected tolthe load of roofing material and also automatically providing means for Ventilating the surfaces .-,of therafters and of vthe roongsupports themselves thereby keeping .these surfaces dry vand reducing liability to rust or corrosion.

Other .objects will become apparent rfrom a perusal of this specification.

A roofing support according to the present invention -comprises a longitudinally anged metal strip of which at least one side edge .is

adapted, Yas by being sharpened, serrated or crimped, to obtain .a grip .on inclined Yrafters under the loadof roongmaterial on the support.

.The metal strip is ,preferably of -channel formation, having a .central or base portionbetween two side flanges.

One or'both oftheangesmay'beat onobtuse angle with the central `or base portion .of .the strip thereby conducingto the ease with which the supports `obtain a grip on vinclined frafters, enabling the supports to .be nested one .within another and Efacilitating packing .for Ytransport or storage whilst this nesting propertyalso facilitates the production .of .overlapping .joints between aligned supports .and lpossesses yother .ad-

vantages.

The flange with a grip robtaining-edge isipre'ferably at 'an obtuse angle with the central or base portion of `the Vstr ip and when the other flange is at right angles to the `central portion. it may be narrower than the obtuse angled ilange.

The metal strip maybe perforated at uniform intervals land these -perforations are preferably substantially circular but slightly elongated .-in-

vthe directionof thestriplength in order to allow of expansion and contraction .of .the .strip when .secured -by nails engaging .the -perforations .Themetal strip may .be stiffenedby a series lof rib-.like projections ,pressed across the junc- .tion yof .the .strip with .its .flange A .scale of length may be marked on the strip.

.In use a series of the roofing supports `extends `across, inclined wooden rafters with a `grip .obtaining flange of each strip incontact'with the rafters at alowerlevellthan any other point of `contact `.of that strip with the rafters. The roofing material is supported .by and engaged with such roong supports in any. desired manner. y

lNails, screws or like fixingv devices may pass through the fperforations of the rooling suplportsjinto .the rafters.

'When the metal possesses nesting properties each roofing vsupport; may comprise nested strips in order'to increase the strength 'and stiffness ofthe supports.

In the accompanying ,drawingvFigure 1 .'is a .sectional isometric View of a roofing .support according .to the 'present "invenf tion:

yzing supports.

Figures 2, 3 yand 4 Aare `.Views `similar vto ligure 'l illustrating. modifications:

Figure 5 is an elevation of roofing material supported 'according to'the present invention:

Figure 6,'is a sectional 'side view of `ligure .5:

.Figure -'lfis yan enlarged sectional Aview taken l .on the line l-*l .of Figure l5:

'Figure 8 Vis 'an enlarged fragmentary 'plan l of the central portion of v'the roofing-support:

Figure"9 is an 'isometric view of 'nested 4roof- Like reference nnumerals lindicate like parts throughout the drawing.

The roofing .support illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a metal strip of channel formation having a central or base portionl l0 between two longitudinal sideflanges Il and I2 respectively. The 4ange I'l is at an veniently aboutf?, with the .central portion lll .and .the .flange l2 lis at right angles to the .central,portion. Thefree edges .of both lflanges ll and l 2 are shown sharpened at t3' by a bevelled ,formation .of vtheir edge regions although, if desired, .the .sharpened edge vI3 may vbe applied obtuse angle, cononly V.to the -obtuse angled Yflange l`l.

.The central .portion I`0 .of the metal strip is ,perforated .along .the ,centre line with holes I4 at .uniform intervals which are less than the width .of the vrafters 'l5 'on which the strip "is `to tion of the central portion In usel a series of the metal strips I0, Il,

'.material which is supported The roong strip is shownin `the position of use onan inclined rafter I with its obtuse angled flange II making contact with the rafter I5 at a lower level than the right angled flange I2. It will be appreciated that the Weight of ,roofing material supported by the metal strip' tends to cause the sharpenedy edge I3gof the,v

lower ob-tuse angled flange II and also,sthough to a less extent perhaps, the sharpened edge I3 of the upper iiange l2, to vbite into Aand thus to p obtain a grip on the inclined rafterf I5. In

order that when in use the central portion Illr of the strip may be substantially parallel with the upper surface of the rafter I5 the right angled ange I2 is somewhat narrower than the obtuse angled flange' II. 1

The roofing support illustrated in Figure 2 is l similar to the one shown in Figure 1 but the grip obtaining edges of the'lianges II and4 I2 are serrated, being'formed with saw teeth I6 instead of being otherwise sharpened. j

In the modification shown in Figure 3 the edge regions of shown at I'I to produce the desired tendency to grip the inclined rafter I5.

It wi1l,b'e appreciated that Where the crimping I1 forms an exterior convexflute in the flange theexterior corner of the flange edge will be presented to the rafter I 5 and where the crimping produces an interior" convex flute the inner corner of the flange edge will be lpresented to the rafter with the resultA that each ange' will have Yanumber of separatedv gripping portions,

In the modification illustrated in vFigure 4 the strip providing the roofing support is stiifened and reinforced by the formation off a series of rib-like projections I8 pressed across'the juno* IU of the strip with its flanges II` and I2. As shown in Figure 4 the stiifening portions `IIl project inwardly but, if desired, they may be vpresseclfrom the other side of the stripso as tolproject outwardly.

comprised 4in the roofing supports extends across the inclinedwooden rafters I5 as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 preferably, as shown, with the obtuse angledgrip obtainingflange Il of each strip at a lower levelthan any other point of contact of that 4strip with the rafters.

Each stripis preferably secured in place by means of nails indicated at `I9 in Figures 6 and I driven into the rafters through those perforations I4 which coincide with the rafters.

, It will be appreciatedthat the elongation of vthe perforations ,I4V will ensure clearances be- Vtween these perforations and the nails I9 and thus enable the metal strips to expand and contract under varying thermal conditions without causing distortion of the metal strips.

Tiles 2U and 2l are illustrated as the roofing on the metal strips I0, II, I2. The tiles comprised in the two upper courses illustrated are provided. with downwardly projecting lugs or nibs22 which engage the upper right angled anges I2 of their supporting strips. Y Those tiles 20 which overlap a rafter I5 may be additionally secured by some through perforations of of the nails I9 passing the tiles made to register 'with the strip perforathe flanges II and lI2 are crimped as I2 atr right angles both to the central Slates or the nib-less tiles 2| illustrated in the i lower courses of Figures 6 and '7 are shown secured bythe nails I9 Where the tiles overlap the rafters and bythe nails 23 with their bent portions 24 where the tiles are situated between rafters. l

Y If desired, however, the tiles or slates 2l which overlap the rafters I5 may be secured by nails passing through tile or slate perforations into the rafters I5 and bearing against the upper flanges I2 of the roofing supports. In this case the intermediate tiles or slates may be secured by the nails 23 bent round the `edges of the flanges I2 of the roofing supports or these tiles or slates may be perforated at different distances from their upper edges in order that these edges may be in alignmentwhen the perforations are engaged by the nails 23.

If desired both the' flanges II and I2 may be at anyobtuse angle with the central portion I0 of the metal strip andit will be understood that the obtuse angled arrangement of one or both flanges will enable the strips to be nested one Within the other as shown in Figure 9 thus facilitating packing for transport or storage. This nesting property also enables the end of one strip to Aoverlap the end of another strip where the length of roof exceeds the length of a single strip. Moreover, two or more nested strips, as illustrated in Figure 9` may be fixed across the rafters I5 to provide a roofing support of greater strength and stiffness than a single strip.

.Figure 9 alsoindicates at 25 a scale marked "on thecentralportion IU of the strip for convenience in roofing a building.

In some cases the intermediate tiles or slates may be secured to the metal roofing supports of the invention by means of cement which may be keyed to the'lsupports ythrough their perforations I4.

The metal roofing supports, as well as the nails or other metal fixing devices, are preferably protected from rust and corrosion by being galvanized or otherwise covered with a protective metal coating but it will bev appreciated that even if rusting or corrosion takes place the automatic grips obtained by the metal strip on the rafters will counteract any tendency for the strips to slip down inclined rafters and to dislodge the tiles or slates. Moreover the construction of the roofing supportsand their combination with the rafters automatically provide means for Ventilating the surfaces of the raftersand of the rooiingsupports thereby keeping these surfaces dry and reducing liability' to rust or corrosion.

vItis always preferred to have the upper flange portion Ill of the roofing'support and to the rafters I5-since such a right-angled arrangement not only stiifens the strip-'but also counteracts any` tendency for the strip as a whole to collapse under the load of the roofing material and wind pressure thereon. vPartial collapse of .the obtuse angled flange II v would increase the grip of the roofing support on the rafter without imparting any movement to the tiles or slates bearing on the roofing support.

What I claim is:

l. A roofing support comprising an elongated metal strip of inverted channel formation having a central portion between two side flanges of which at least one side flange is at an obtuse angle with the central portion of the strip and has an edge formed with'grip obtaining means for embedment in inclined wooden rafters under the load of roofing material on the support.

2. A roofing support comprising an elongated metal strip of inverted channel formation having a central portion between two side flanges of which at least one side flange is at an obtusel angle with the central portion of the strip and has an edge formed with grip obtaining means for embedment in inclined wooden rafters under the load of roofing material'on the support and the other side flange is at right angles to the central portion and is narrower than the obtuse angled flange.

3. A roofing support comprising a metal strip of channel formation having a central portion, perforated at uniform intervals with holes which are substantially circular but slightly elongated in the direction of the strip length, between two' side flanges of which at least one side flange has an edge formed to obtain a grip on inclined vwooden rafters under the load of roofing material on the support.

4. A roofing support comprising a metal strip of channel formation having a central portion between two side flanges and stiffened by a series of rib-like projections pressed across the junction of the central portion with the side flanges and at least one side flange has an edge formed to obtain a grip on inclined wooden rafters under the load of roong material on the support.

5. The combination with a roof having inclined wooden rafters of a series of roofing supports eX- tending across the rafters and each comprising a longitudinally flanged metal strip of which 'at least one flange has a grip-obtaining edge in contact with the rafters at a lower level than any other point of contact of that strip with the rafters and roofing material supported by and engaged with such roofing supports.

6. The combination with a roof having inclined wooden rafters of a series of roofing supports extending across the rafters and each comprising a longitudinally flanged metal strip of which at least one flange has a grip-obtaining edge being in contact with the rafters at a lower level than any other point of contact of that strip with the rafters. fixing devices passing through perforations of the roofing supports into the rafters and roofing material supported by and engaged with such roong supports.

7. The combination with a roof having inclined wooden rafters of a series of roofing supports eX- tending across the rafters and each comprising a metal strip of channel formation having a central portion perforated at uniform intervals between two side flanges of which at least one side flange has an edge adapted to obtain a grip on inclined wooden rafters and roofing material supported by such rooilng supports and engaged therewith by nails passing through registering perforations of roofing material and of roofing supports, some of such nails entering the rafters and intermediate nails being bent under the roofing supports.

8. The combination with a roof having inclined wooden rafters of a series of roong supports extending across the rafters and each comprising a longitudinally ilanged metal strip -of channel formation having a central portion between two side flanges of which at least one side flange is at an obtuse angle with the central portion of the strip and has a grip-obtaining edge in Contact with the rafters at a lower level than any other point of contact of that strip with the rafters and roofing material supported by and engaged with such roong supports.

9i The combination with a roof having inclined wooden rafters of a series of roofing supports extending across the rafters and each comprising a longitudinally flanged metal strip of channel formation having a central portion between two side flanges of which at least one side flange is at an obtuse angle 4with the central portion of the strip and has a crimped edge in contact with the rafters at a lower level than any other point of contact of that strip with the rafters, fixing dee vices passing through perforations of the roofing supports into the rafters and roofing material supported by and engaged with such roofing supports.

f 10. The combination with a roof having inclined wooden rafters of a series of roong supports extending across the rafters and each comprising a plurality of nested longitudinally flanged metal strips of channel formation, each strip having a central portion between two side flanges of which at least one side flange is at an obtuse angle with the central portion of the strip and the obtuse angled flange of the lowermost of the nested strips has a grip-obtaining edge in contact with the rafters at a lower level than any other point of contact of that strip with the rafters and roofing material supported by and engaged with such nested roofing supports.

11. The combination withk a roof having inclined wooden rafters of a series of roofing supports extending across the rafters and each comprising a plurality of nested llongitudinally flanged metal strips of channel formation, each strip having a central portion between two side flanges of which at least one side flange is at an obtuse angle with the central portion of the strip and the obtuse angled flange of the lowermost of the nested strips has a crimped edge in contact with the rafters at a lower level than any other point of contact of that strip with the rafters, fixing devices passing through perforations of the nested roofing supports into the rafters and roofing material supported by and engaged with such nested roofing supports. n

JOHN BLANDY LlLlEWELLYN. 

